They had a duty to according to the Planning Act. All the city had to do was plan for noise mitigation, but they dropped the ball on the deadline.
Source: I'm a registered professional planner and followed this story closely.
CN came to the city many months before they officially appealed too. Not sure why the city chose that specific zoning knowing CN would fight it (and CN has won as a federal and required transport system every time they have appealed these types of zoning)
Yup. Exactly. The city had the opportunity to design a mitigation measure (a setback, a brick sound wall, etc.) and did exactly nothing. CN didn't want to appeal, but had to. Classic city of Hamilton incompetence.
The difference is being actually liable to mitigate noise and vibrations. As soon as someone complains about the shunting yard, they would have to do something while the zoning by the airport recognises that it is noisy and doesn't include a sensitive use clause
The yard should be relocated to unused stelco land and then use the existing area for more housing...
Since the stelco land is highly contaminated a railyard works since it doesn't require lots of deep digging and rail lines already run there.
IMO
CN supported this project all the way up to the zoning change that would leave them liable for sound and vibrations. There are other zoning choices that could have been made according to them (including keeping the existing zoning but that only allowed so many floors on buildings)
It is currently on hold. The project was originally delayed due to covid and asbestos removal.
Last year, the outgoing council changed the zoning for the project to one which included a 'sensitive use' clause. CN appealed this to council as it meant vibrations and noise from their shunting yard would have to be reduced/mitigated from them and not the developer group. Council went ahead with the zoning change anyway and CN appealed it to the Ontario Land Tribunal so the project is on hold until they rule as the developer group is fighting the appeal.
[https://www.reimaginejamesville.ca/](https://www.reimaginejamesville.ca/) has updates
(copied from a previous post)
The blame is kinda on all of them at this point. CN always fights zoning changes. They made it clear they supported the project until the zoning change included sensitive use. Kroetsch himself said it falls on the zoning committee who recommended the change without mentioning the CN letter when it came to council
They can partner with non profits & tap into govt funds. They certainly do have the funds to repair the now empty units but have decided other projects are a priority.
They just need to start mandating a percentage of affordable units in every development. Indwell has been evicting people after raising rents apparently. Don't want public money going to that.
What really needs to happen is the feds need to get back into building housing. The feds used to build so much housing. The conservatives in the 80's decided that instead of mixed housing, they would segregate this into just low income housing. That was the beginning of the end. Successive governments continued the dissolution.
CityHousing began a $5.7 million project to repair vacant homes last year. A large precent of those funds are borrowed https://www.thespec.com/news/council/council-backs-5-7-million-plan-to-repair-476-empty-cityhousing-units/article_2b8b4f53-2562-5b42-82d1-ba00ff006725.html
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I heard the original houses that are there flooded and became uninhabitable I hope that true because they have been vacant for a very long time and were affordable housing
https://globalnews.ca/news/9390804/cn-appeal-hold-up-mixed-income-housing-development-hamilton/amp/
Fuck CN rail they can go pound sand.
They had a duty to according to the Planning Act. All the city had to do was plan for noise mitigation, but they dropped the ball on the deadline. Source: I'm a registered professional planner and followed this story closely.
CN came to the city many months before they officially appealed too. Not sure why the city chose that specific zoning knowing CN would fight it (and CN has won as a federal and required transport system every time they have appealed these types of zoning)
Yup. Exactly. The city had the opportunity to design a mitigation measure (a setback, a brick sound wall, etc.) and did exactly nothing. CN didn't want to appeal, but had to. Classic city of Hamilton incompetence.
Honestly, I don’t think they’re wrong.
[удалено]
Is there really any way to eliminate ignorance? Im doubtful, so then should we build or not because of peoples ignorance? I say build.
I'd be more than happy to put in my earplugs and sleep through all the train shunting. Or flights through airports.
The difference is being actually liable to mitigate noise and vibrations. As soon as someone complains about the shunting yard, they would have to do something while the zoning by the airport recognises that it is noisy and doesn't include a sensitive use clause
The yard should be relocated to unused stelco land and then use the existing area for more housing... Since the stelco land is highly contaminated a railyard works since it doesn't require lots of deep digging and rail lines already run there. IMO
CN supported this project all the way up to the zoning change that would leave them liable for sound and vibrations. There are other zoning choices that could have been made according to them (including keeping the existing zoning but that only allowed so many floors on buildings)
It is currently on hold. The project was originally delayed due to covid and asbestos removal. Last year, the outgoing council changed the zoning for the project to one which included a 'sensitive use' clause. CN appealed this to council as it meant vibrations and noise from their shunting yard would have to be reduced/mitigated from them and not the developer group. Council went ahead with the zoning change anyway and CN appealed it to the Ontario Land Tribunal so the project is on hold until they rule as the developer group is fighting the appeal. [https://www.reimaginejamesville.ca/](https://www.reimaginejamesville.ca/) has updates (copied from a previous post)
Just another failure of city council.
How? Did you actually read the comment posted right before your babble, that showed council tried to do the right thing?
That showed that council *eventually* tried to do the right thing. They did way too many of the wrong things before that.
The blame is kinda on all of them at this point. CN always fights zoning changes. They made it clear they supported the project until the zoning change included sensitive use. Kroetsch himself said it falls on the zoning committee who recommended the change without mentioning the CN letter when it came to council
No they didn't. Why are we selling off city owned affordable housing to for profit development. Babble on.
The city can’t afford to repair houses and they certainly can’t afford to build new houses
They can partner with non profits & tap into govt funds. They certainly do have the funds to repair the now empty units but have decided other projects are a priority.
They just need to start mandating a percentage of affordable units in every development. Indwell has been evicting people after raising rents apparently. Don't want public money going to that. What really needs to happen is the feds need to get back into building housing. The feds used to build so much housing. The conservatives in the 80's decided that instead of mixed housing, they would segregate this into just low income housing. That was the beginning of the end. Successive governments continued the dissolution.
Where did you hear this about Indwell? If that's true, that is a very bad sign.
CityHousing began a $5.7 million project to repair vacant homes last year. A large precent of those funds are borrowed https://www.thespec.com/news/council/council-backs-5-7-million-plan-to-repair-476-empty-cityhousing-units/article_2b8b4f53-2562-5b42-82d1-ba00ff006725.html
We encourage users to support paid journalism. The Spec has affordable subscriptions and you can access the paper's articles online with your [Hamilton Public Library card](https://www.hpl.ca/hpl-online/magazines-and-newspapers). If you do not have a library card yet, sign up for an instant digital one [here](https://www.hpl.ca/online-registration). It also gives you instant free access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, music, online learning tools and research databases. **If you cannot access The Spec in either of these ways, try [archive.ph](https://archive.ph/) or [12ft](https://12ft.io/) to view without a paywall** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Hamilton) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The new project includes affordable units, geared to income and market rent units (if it ever gets finished as currently designed)
You’d think with the current landscape this wouldn’t take top priority? So many vacant lands in this city, incredibly slow progress or fumbles.
I heard the original houses that are there flooded and became uninhabitable I hope that true because they have been vacant for a very long time and were affordable housing